Nintendo Switch – In spite of the name, this looks great!

I’m just going to say it… Switch..really? The name NX just sounded so cool to me, so futuristic. Then came the announcement..sigh. The Nintendo Switch. Maybe the name will grow on me..maybe. In all fairness, its pretty standard to have a code name and then change the name at the reveal, but still. Putting the name aside, I am actually really excited for Nintendo’s newest console. I think the Wii-U was very underrated with a lot of really great games. We won’t talk about the third party support, which was ok at best. The one thing that I really didn’t like about the Wii-U was that the range for the pad was very short. I couldn’t go in the next room without it losing connection. I thought “How cool would it be if we could take the pad on the road and play our favorite games on the train, bus, or even plane?”

The Switch looks like this could be what I wanted the Wii-U to be. It allows you to take your favorite games with you, wherever you go. From the reveal video, the screen looks really good. The specs have not been revealed, so we don’t know that yet. I actually can’t remember the Wii-U’s specs ever being revealed, so who knows? The game play videos did look great, though, so there is a lot of hope for the capabilities of the Switch. Besides, they showed Zelda, Mario, Splatoon and Skyrim, so the launch line-up could be epic. If I could just get Zelda at launch I would be a happy gamer. I am and have always been a huge Nintendo fan, with Zelda being my favorite series.

I will go on record to say that I don’t think they dropped the ball on the Wii-U. They dropped the ball on the marketing. I worked at a particular game retail store and nobody knew what the Wii U was. I had so many parents ask me if it was an add-on for the Wii. That’s a problem. Years later, I still hear the same questions being asked. When the Wii came out everyone knew what it was. You could have experiences that no other console could give you. Everyone flocked to the system, even though it was incredibly under-powered. It still outsold all the other consoles combined. Why? Wimple marketing makes all the difference. I know about games and technology. It’s what I do. The average consumer/parent needs to be convinced of the value the Switch brings. If Nintendo can do this, they will have a huge hit on their hands. They have done it before and they can do it again with this console.

The handheld element could be huge for them. The 3DS has sold and continues to sell well, for very good reason. The 3DS has an amazing library of games, and you can take them wherever. The 3D effect is also very good, especially on the new 3DS. There is something about taking great games on the road and not feeling tethered to your home. Again, the Switch tablet screen looks really good, and I am already dreaming of what they can do with Pokémon, Zelda, Mario and all the other first party titles.

My only real concern is battery life. If the battery life is bad then having great games on the go is pretty pointless. I really don’t think this will be an issue, though. I imagine Nintendo will make sure the battery life is good. There is a lot riding on this. I will buy the console, no matter what, because . . . Nintendo. Check out the announcement video and press release below for more info.

Detachable Controllers Reinvent Gaming

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 20, 2016 – In an introductory video released today (http://www.nintendo.com/switch ), Nintendo provided the first glimpse of its new home gaming system and revealed that it is called Nintendo Switch. In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. The mobility of a handheld is now added to the power of a home gaming system to enable unprecedented new video game play styles.

At home, Nintendo Switch rests in the Nintendo Switch Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play with family and friends in the comfort of your living room. By simply lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly transition to portable mode, and the same great gaming experience that was being enjoyed at home now travels with you. The portability of Nintendo Switch is enhanced by its bright high-definition display. It brings the full home gaming system experience with you to the park, on an airplane, in a car, or to a friend’s apartment.

Gaming springs into action by removing detachable Joy-Con controllers from either side of Nintendo Switch. One player can use a Joy-Con controller in each hand; two players can each take one; or multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options. They can easily click back into place or be slipped into a Joy-Con Grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, if preferred, the gamer can select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to use instead of the Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, it is possible for numerous people to bring their Nintendo Switch systems together to enjoy local multiplayer face-to-face competition.

“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”

Developers can design their games supporting a variety of play styles, which gives gamers the freedom to choose an experience that best suits them. Some of the publishers, developers and middleware partners announcing support for Nintendo Switch are as follows:

505 Games

Activision Publishing, Inc.

ARC SYSTEM WORKS Co., Ltd.

ATLUS CO., LTD.

Audiokinetic Inc.

Autodesk, Inc.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

Bethesda

CAPCOM CO., LTD.

Codemasters®

CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.

DeNA Co., Ltd.

Electronic Arts

Epic Games Inc.

Firelight Technologies

FromSoftware, Inc.

Frozenbyte

GameTrust

GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC．

Gungho Online Entertainment, Inc.

HAMSTER Corporation

Havok

INTI CREATES CO., LTD.

KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.

LEVEL-5 Inc.

Marvelous Inc.

Maximum Games, LLC

Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.

Parity Bit Inc.

PlatinumGames Inc.

RAD Game Tools, Inc.

RecoChoku Co., Ltd.

SEGA Games Co., Ltd.

Silicon Studio Corporation

Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.

SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.

Starbreeze Studios

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Telltale Games

THQ Nordic

Tokyo RPG Factory Co., Ltd.

TT Games

UBISOFT

Ubitus Inc.

Unity Technologies, Inc.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Web Technology Corp

Today’s video incorporated short glimpses of representative gameplay to demonstrate the liberating nature of the Nintendo Switch home gaming system. Full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, as well as launch date, price, product configuration and related specifics, will be shown and announced prior to the March launch.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.4 billion video games and more than 693 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com .